


The Final Trial

by thequidditchpitch_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action/Adventure, Friendship, Post-Hogwarts, The Quidditch Pitch: Leaving Feast
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-02-11
Updated: 2007-02-11
Packaged: 2018-10-27 12:08:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10808712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thequidditchpitch_archivist/pseuds/thequidditchpitch_archivist
Summary: Harry and Ron are in the Auror training program approaching their final exam.  After defeating the most evil Dark Lord of the century how hard can mere training be?





	The Final Trial

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Annie, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Quidditch Pitch](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Quidditch_Pitch), which went offline in 2015 when the hosting expired, at a time I was not able to renew it. I contacted Open Doors, hoping to preserve the archive using an old backup, and began importing these works as an Open Doors-approved project in April 2017. Open Doors e-mailed all authors about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Quidditch Pitch collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thequidditchpitch/profile).

  
Author's notes:

Ever since I signed on to this site I’ve had so much fun reading all of the wonderful stories that people have published here.  Lately though I’ve begun to feel a bit guilty not having made a contribution myself so I decided to do just that.

 

This story came about from the Chamber of Secrets writing contest from the prompt ‘Harry’s Auror Exams’.  I got the idea from an episode of Stargate that showed a likely training scenario for the SGC.  It was well received and that has encouraged me to share it with you hopefully redressing the balance somewhat for all of those stories I have so enjoyed reading.

 

Many thanks to **Meesha** for the pre beta work and **belladonna803** for taming my failed High School English grammar and runaway punctuation. J

* * *

"Potter, report!" Kingsley Shacklebolt's voice barked across the smoke filled room. "What went wrong?"

Looking at the bodies lying around him, Harry cursed.  "Stunners sir, we came in too fast ... didn't check the layout."

"You didn't check the layout."  Kingsley's voice dripped with sarcasm, "You heard the hostage scream and just came charging in like the white knight ready to save the day, did you?"

"Yes, sir" Harry said, looking down.  Fighting Voldemort and his Death Eaters had never been like this.  It seemed much more straightforward, even though the risks were real.  _That's it_ , thought Harry, _the risks were real and yet we got through it.  So why can't we do the same in a simple training exercise?_

" _Ennervate_ " said Kingsley, waving his wand toward Harry's unconscious colleagues.  Slowly, they stirred.

"Stunners, right?" asked Ron, groggily, "Told you we should've bloody waited and checked out the layout."  Tim, Graham and Jack, the other trainees in Harry's squad, nodded in agreement.

"Sorry," whispered Harry, "thought speed was important."

Ron rolled his eyes and turned with a start.  Four wizards in Academy training robes had Apparated into the far end of the building.  They slowly approached the group.

"Wait here." said Kingsley quietly to the trainees.  He walked toward the newcomers with his hand surreptitiously placed on his wand.

Harry flicked a sideways glance at Ron then looked at the rest of the trainees.

"What's that all about?" asked Ron, leaning in so the newcomers couldn't hear him.

"Dunno, but this doesn't feel right...."

_"Stupefy!"_   There was a red flash from Kingsley's wand.  Instantly, Harry, Ron and the others drew their wands.  Two Stunners and a Full Body-bind later, they were looking at the four men now lying motionless on the ground.  Kingsley was looking worried.

"Follow me," he said, looking at the five trainees.  "We need to move now."

"Sir--" began Ron.

"Now, Mister Weasley," said Kingsley, tersely.  Pointing his wand at a piece of brick that had been dislodged from the wall in the scuffle, he said _"Portus."_

As they touched the Portkey, Harry felt the now familiar sensation of being jerked irresistibly forward by a hook behind his navel.

His feet slammed into the ground, but he managed to keep his footing as Ron landed beside him in the darkened warehouse; the others were nearby.

"Right.  Gentlemen, we have gained ourselves some time here.  This is a non-Ministry safe site." said Kingsley, glancing significantly at Harry and Ron.  Immediately, Harry realised this must be one of the old Order of the Phoenix safe sites.  "Those wizards were under the influence of the Imperius Curse.  It would appear that Auror Headquarters has been compromised.  I don't know anything more at this point, but we need to first find out what's going on and then take steps to reclaim the base."

Kingsley flicked his wand and out shot what looked like a smallish silver bird.  For a moment Harry was confused, but then he remembered how the Order used Patronuses - _or should that be Patroni?  Hermione would know_.  Harry cursed himself for the wry thought - to communicate with each other.  If the base was compromised, then Hermione was in trouble, too.  They had to find out what was going on.

Again Kingsley flicked his wand, this time conjuring some food.  "Sit down and eat," he said.  "It'll be a little while before we get the full picture here and you'll need to be at full strength when it's time."

While eating was the last thing on anyone's mind, they sat and ate the conjured rations as Kingsley stood by the window on lookout.

***

It was nearly three hours later when Kingsley's silver kestrel hawk returned, accompanied by another silvery creature, this one an otter.  A surge of relief swept through Harry as he recognised Hermione's Patronus.  If she could produce that, then she was still free and could help them.

"Right, you lot, listen in," said Kingsley in a grave tone.  "Here's what we know.  The main Auror Headquarters at Leeds has been infiltrated by a small, but well organised band of former Death Eaters.  Those who were susceptible were placed under the Imperius Curse and are working with the renegades.  A small group of researchers have safely retreated into the central stronghold in the Department of Mysteries."  Again, Kingsley looked toward Ron and Harry who had no trouble figuring out who had managed _that_ escape.  "They're safe enough within its fortifications for now, but are trapped in the facility."

"Sir," said Ron, "how many researchers are trapped?"

"Eight altogether, Mister Weasley, but only your wife and Mr. Longbottom have any combat experience, so I'm afraid we can't expect much help from that quarter."

"Still, sir, they could provide a distraction.  We need to coordinate with them," said Harry, and the six men began planning the assault in earnest.

***

Within fifteen minutes they had a plan.  A direct frontal assault was out of the question; they were too badly outnumbered and the Headquarters facility was too strongly fortified for that.  What they needed was a back door, something that Kingsley was able to provide, thanks to the Order.

"This tunnel was built in secret during the initial construction of the new Auror Headquarters," he said quietly.  "We knew that some of Voldemort's followers would escape and we needed to be able to discreetly access Ministry facilities in case we had a repeat of the Fudge debacle."

"Yeah, I remember that," said Harry bitingly, but was interrupted by Ron.

"So sir, we have our back door.  Shall we move in, then?"

They Apparated to another empty building, an old Muggle restaurant in Leeds.  They located the old Order tunnel in the basement and made ready to move in.

"She knows what to do, Weasley?' asked Kingsley.

"Yes sir.  When I send the signal, Hermione and Neville will make their move."

"Right then, gentlemen," said Kingsley, "let's get in position.  Potter, you, Weasley and O'Neill take the north wing, Taylor and Garden, you're with me."

Quietly they moved down the tunnel.

 ***

"Now, Ron." said Harry.

Wordlessly, Ron flicked his wand and a small silver dog-like form darted out of the end of it.  Counting to twenty, the three of them raised their wands.

_"Reducto!"_   The thin piece of wall at the end of their section of tunnel blew out and they were in the base.  As they came to a doorway, Harry leaned around the corner and quickly jumped back as a masked Death Eater sent a red Stunner in his direction. He then did something that any sane wizard wouldn't have even tried.  With curses flashing past him, he grabbed the door frame and propelled himself straight across the corridor.  As curses tracked him, Ron casually leaned around the corner and Stunned the Death Eater.

"Thanks for that," said Harry.

"Any time, mate.  Shall we truss this one up in case he comes to?"

Wordlessly, Harry flicked his wand at the Death Eater, causing ropes to shoot out the end of it, securing him.  Harry and Jack then dragged him into a cupboard while Ron marked the door with a flaming ‘Z'.

Rolling his eyes, Harry grinned.  "I wish Hermione had never taken you to that Muggle movie Ron."

Jack looked perplexed, but Ron grinned.  "Zorro," he supplied.  "That'll let our guys know that someone's inside."

As they moved toward the main control centre of the base, they encountered more resistance from Death Eaters.  Each time they managed to subdue them; Hermione's distraction seemed to work.  _I only hope Kingsley's having this much luck,_ thought Harry.

Finally, they were at the end of the access corridor to the northern foyer.  They jumped as they heard footsteps behind them.  Ron had to grab Jack's arm to stop him from sending a Stunner into Neville as he came around the corner, followed closely by Hermione.  Both looked the worse for wear, but were still standing.  Just then, about a dozen Stunners flew past their position.

"Just like old times, eh?" said Ron with a half smile, "We'll have ‘em on the ropes now."

"Oh right Ron, this'll be so easy now," said Hermione, her voice dripping with sarcasm.  "You and I will take the twelve to the far right, Harry can take the fifteen in the middle, and Neville and ... sorry, who are you?" asked Hermione, looking at the other trainee Auror

"Jack," he said with a bemused look on his face.

"Right.  Neville and Jack here can take the twelve on the left."

"Oh this'll be fun," said Harry.  "On three then?  One, two ..."

The foyer to the northern wing resembled something akin to a madman's fireworks display as multicoloured curses flew back and forth across the room at such a rate that the space between the combatants began to resemble a blazing carpet.  Despite this, the Death Eaters were faring badly, with several of their number already knocked out by various hexes and curses.

Then Jack went down, hit by a Stunner in the chest and, a moment later, Neville and Hermione were hit by a pair of odd purple curses that sent both of them to the deck.  Still, Harry and Ron kept on sending curses as, one by one, their opponents dropped.  Finally, there were only three Death Eaters left and, as one, they raised their arms and threw their wands down.  Suspecting a trap, Ron and Harry moved uncertainly forward, wands on the remaining trio, when the first of them removed his mask.  Harry had a sudden flashback to his fourth year in Hogwarts when he recognised the scarred face of Alastor Moody, now head of the Aurors.  The other Death Eaters also removed their masks, revealing them to be Kingsley Shacklebolt and Tonks.  From behind them, he heard clapping and turned to see both Hermione and Neville with broad smiles on their faces, looking quite unharmed, applauding the pair.

"I hate final training examinations," grumbled Moody.  "There's always so much bloody mess to clean up afterward."

"Examinations?" asked Ron, looking like he'd just taken a Stunner to the chest himself.

"Yes, Mister Weasley, examinations." said Kingsley with a chuckle.  "And I don't mind telling you, planning yours and Mister Potter's were harder than most, given your previous ... experience.  Still I must give credit where it's due here. It was actually Tonks' idea to bring Longbottom and Mrs. Weasley in on this; she said it would make it all the more believable for you."

Harry gave Hermione a disgruntled look, but Ron only rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"Anyway Weasley," continued Kingsley, now smiling at the pair, "it looks like you and Mister Potter passed.  No other trainee has ever made it as far as the foyer before."


End file.
